Sailboat single-handed reefing system

Abstract

A single-handed reefing system for a sailboat including a sail, halyard, reefing line and winch mechanism. The reefing line is secured to the leach of a flexible sail approximately half the distance between the head and foot and passes alternately through rows of grommets spaced generally horizontally on the sail and fairleads secured on the boom and a turning block on the mast to a winch located at the cockpit. A sail halyard is secured to the head of the sail and passes upward through a turning block located at the upper end of the mast and then downward to a turning block on the mast and then to the winch which has two drums, each with an appropriate circumference to allow the halyard wrapped in one direction on the first drum to lower the upper portion of the sail a distance and rate generally coincident with the lowering and reefing of the lower portion of the sail by the reefing line wrapped in the opposite direction on the second drum. Removable stops can be positioned on the reefing line to accomplish several levels of reefing.

I claim: 
     
       1. A single-handed reefing system for a sailboat comprising: a mast terminating in an upper end;   a boom extending from the mast terminating in an outer end;   a flexible sail lower edge secured to the boom;   a forward edge secured to the mast and slidable relative to the mast;   a sail upper end secured to a halyard passing upward through a fairlead at the upper end of the mast and downward to a winch providing a mechanical advantage which simultaneously controls the unreeling of the halyard and reeling of a reefing line;   a reefing line connected to the sail and passing to the winch, the winch including multiple drums for wrapping the halyard and reefing line.   
     
     
       2. A single-handed reefing system according to claim 1 wherein the multiple drums can be adjustably positioned on a winch drum. 
     
     
       3. A single-handed reefing system according to claim 1 wherein the reefing line passes upward and downward on each side of the sail through successive horizontally placed parallel grommets and fairleads. 
     
     
       4. A single-handed reefing system according to claim 1 wherein a removable reefing line stop prevents movement of the reefing line through a grommet. 
     
     
       5. A single-handed reefing system for a sailboat comprising: a mast terminating in an upper end;   a boom extending from the mast terminating in an outer end;   a flexible sail having a lower edge secured to the boom and a forward edge secured to the mast and slidable relative to the mast;   the sail having an upper end secured to a halyard passing upward through a fairlead at the upper end of the mast and downward to a control mechanism which simultaneously controls the unreeling of the halyard and reeling of a reefing line at different rates; and   a reefing line connected to the sail and passing to the control mechanism.